Written By: Susan Harmon, Director of National Safe Place Operations

April 22, 2019, is Earth Day.  You’ve probably heard of it, but do you know what it is, and how it came about?  Earth Day began in 1970 at a time of great citizen engagement and call to action.  Individuals were very concerned about the use and misuse of natural resources and the effects on the environment. Gas-guzzling vehicles were the norm, and gas shortages were beginning to become commonplace.  Air and water pollution were in the spotlight, and litter on the roadways was a national eye sore.  Earth Day was one response to this growing crisis.  To learn more about the history of Earth Day, visit https://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/

Written by Mark Wolf, Director of Training and Technical Assistance

I was recently made aware “Employee Appreciation Day” is the first Friday of every March.  I was also recently a part of a discussion with runaway and homeless youth (RHY) grantees on staff recruitment and retention challenges. The two, employee appreciation and staff recruitment/retention, are certainly related. We are in a very competitive job market, and RHY programs are not always able to offer comparable wages for staff. This makes it very difficult to recruit and retain good staff.  In addition, youth care work is one of the most demanding fields. Youth care workers are required to have a special set of skills, knowledge, and abilities they need to be able to recognize and assist with challenges youth face.

Written by: Kim Frierson, Training Specialist, National Safe Place Network

How do we provide support to youth and families and also promote self-sufficiency?  What are the ways that service providers give support?  How do we drive young people to move from ‘surviving to thriving?’ Providing opportunities for success for young people is essential to building their resilience and confidence.  As young people navigate new experiences, service providers look to provide resources that will support their exploration.

Thankfulness

Written by: Tammy Hopper, Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer, National Safe Place Network

By definition – thankful is easy to understand.  “Thanks” is an expression of gratitude – gratefulness – for something we have or have been given. It seems as if this would be simple and yet for some it is one of the most challenging concepts of all.

Written by: Eric Peterson, Communications Intern, National Safe Place Network

With how hectic and complex our lives can be on a regular basis, even the basic idea of “free time” can get left behind and covered up as we deal with the various tasks and obligations that take up our waking moments. That said, when we do get time to ourselves, it can sometimes be hard to know what to do with it, and when boredom sets in, it can be hard to free yourself from it.